


Like Breathing Through a Straw

by fairy123



Category: If I Had Wings (2013)
Genre: Asthma attack, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-07
Updated: 2015-10-07
Packaged: 2018-04-25 06:27:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4950133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairy123/pseuds/fairy123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brad and Alex start their triathlon training, and it doesn't quite go as planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like Breathing Through a Straw

It was a muggy Saturday morning as Brad and Alex decided to start their triathlon training. The two were planning on running their usual route before going to take a swim. Alex however, couldn't shake the sudden feeling that something bad was going to happen as he rose to his feet, his hand resting in its typical place upon Brads shoulder. The slimmer teen could hear the raspy, ragged breaths that were coming from the other teen and it reminded him faintly of when he heard Julie having trouble with her asthma. Alex shook of that thought immediately though, confident that Brad would have mentioned if he wasn't feeling well.

“Ready?” Brad said gently as he started their run for the morning, trying to ignore the achy feeling that had been building in his chest for the last few days. He tried to simply focus on the trail ahead of them, practically knowing it by heart at this point. Though it seemed that the more the run was progressing, the more trouble he was having catching his breath. Stumbling to a halt about halfway through their run, Brad reached out to grab Alex's arm to have him stop as well.

“What's wrong? Why are we stopping?” Alex asked, his voice laced with concern as he laid his hand over Brad's that was still on his arm, moving his own hand up so that it was resting on the other teens heaving shoulder. Frowning when he could hear the sudden audible wheezes and gasps, Alex gently knelt down next to where he could feel Brad sitting. “You sound like Julie when she's having an asthma attack. Are you feeling okay?” he asked softly, gently moving his hand to Brads upper back to rub as the obviously tight muscles hat were aiding in the other males distress.

“C-can't catch m-my breath,” Brad wheezed out as he fumbled in his pocket for his cell phone before he pulled out the object and found the number that he'd programmed in his phone for Alex's father. He pressed his phone into Alex's hand, a silent message for him to talk along with a wheezy breath of “your dad”, hoping that the other could convey the message that something was wrong.

“Got it. Hey dad, something's wrong with Brad. I don't know what's wrong exactly, but he's having trouble breathing and he can't really talk in full sentences. I'm not sure how far we are down the trail, lemme ask Brad real quick,” Alex said, gently moving the phone from his ear as he rubbed more gentle circles into Brad;s back. “Hey, how far do you think we are down the trail? Don't try using full sentences though. Focus mostly on your breathing,” Alex explained softly with a frown, really wishing he had his sight to know how to help the other male better.

“A-about h-halfway,” Brad rasped out, hunched forward a little more on the grass, he glanced over at Alex, surprised at how calm the other seemed to be considering the situation they were in. He himself was just trying not to panic as he tried slowing down his breathing, even though it felt like he was gasping though a straw at that point.

“Hey dad? We're about halfway into the trail.. His breathing is really wheezy and he seems to be struggling. Yeah, I'll hang up so you can call. Thanks. Bye,” Alex said into the phone when his dad relayed the message that he was going to call an ambulance for them, his hand never stopping it's rhythmic pace over Brad's upper back. “My dad is calling an ambulance now. He's gonna call us back when he knows how far out they'll be. Is your breathing any easier?” Alex asked as he handed Brad the phone back, hearing the beep of the call ending.

“Okay. And n-not really. My chest feels like it's getting squeezed by a cobra,” Brad wheezed before a bought of coughs took over him, pressing one of his shaky hands against the front of his shirt.

“Alright, just try and relax. It definitely sounds like you are having an asthma attack. Anyways, you and Julie broke up last week, how come?” Alex asked, trying to keep Brads thoughts on anything other than the discomfort the other was clearly in.

“Wh-what's with the sudden interest? I l-like someone else. She's a n-nice girl. Just not my t-type,” Brad explained as he rested his head against Alex's shoulder, the other's relaxed presence calming him down immensely.

“Oh? Any girl I know?” Alex asked, trying to be joking, but he was still half hoping that the other teen was even the slightest bit interested in him. His frown reappeared however when he heard another round of harsh coughs emitting from brad and he resumed his soothing hand motions again before taking the phone he was handed when it rang once more. “Dad? Ten minutes? They can't get here any faster than that? Fine, just have them hurry. He sounds terrible,” Alex huffed softly before passing Brad the phone again to have him hang up, biting his lip in concern.

“N-not a girl,” Brad rasped out with a small chuckle before he coughed heavily again, checking his phone to see how much time had passed, and let out a shaky sigh when he realized it would probably take the paramedics an extra fifteen minutes to find them on the train.

“Oh, so it's a guy. Please tell me it isn't Tyson or I may have to question your sanity,” Alex joked, trying to conceal his sudden excitement at the sudden reveal from the other.

“It's n-not Tyson you dweeb. I'd n-never be interested in s-such a prick,” Brad scowled as he looked up at Alex, hoping he could convey the disgust in his voice. “I-it's you. Okay,” he wheezed out gruffly as he stared at his shoes, looking up when he heard the paramedics approach them. “C-can you help me up?” he mumbled weakly, letting Alex's arm loop around his waist to help him to his feet, leaning heavily into the other's side as he was helped onto a gurney and an oxygen mask was placed over his nose and mouth.

“Can I go with him?” Alex spoke up softly, smiling in relief as his dad said yes and his dad walked with him behind the gurney. “Is it an asthma attack?” he asked in concern as they reached the ambulance and he was helped in, gently taking Brad's hand in his own to reassure the other teen.

“That's what it's looking like. He should be fine though once the hospital gets him started on some medication for it. We have him on a nebulizer right now and it seems to be perking him up a little bit,” the paramedic explained gently to Alex.

“I'm gonna be fine, you worry to much,” Brad rasped out to Alex, squeezing his hand gently in his own reassuring way between breaths of medicine.

**Author's Note:**

> I noticed in the movie how Brad was coughing occasionally and it inspired me to write this fic. I might add another chapter to it at some point, let me know if you'd be interested in that.


End file.
